Tillers in the Spring, Snow Plows in the Winter, and Now, Outboard Motors in the Summer
Building a World Through Plastic Models
- Max Factory Interview -
Realistic Modeling Beauty: Honda’s BF350 Outboard Motor as a Plastic Model
Max Factory is one of Japan’s leading figurine and plastic model manufacturers. The company’s PLAMAX Minimum Factory series is a popular series of 1/20th scale reproductions of anime and game characters.
The collaboration between Max Factory and Honda Power Products began with “Minori with Honda Tiller F90” released in May 2018.
The World Created by Figurines and Power Products
The flagship BF350 outboard motor is Honda’s only product powered by a V8 engine.
“Minori with Honda Outboard Motor BF350,” a plastic model reproducing the intricate details of the flagship outboard, will go on sale in March 2025.
But why make a plastic model of an outboard motor? Yuki Takaku, who developed the plastic model at manufacturer Max Factory explains.
“The PLAMAX Minimum Factory series is all about figurines. The theme of the series is how characters can express their everyday life, with for example, a car or motorcycle placed their side to expand the worldview. But there are many other companies that are already making car and motorcycle models, so I was thinking that I wanted to combine the figurines with something else. Then, I happened to see a Honda tiller at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show,” says Max Factory’s Yuki Takaku.
From Tillers to Snow Plows: The Expanding World of Power Products and Minori
Takaku’s first encounter with Honda power products was the 1966 F90 tiller. He was fascinated by the beauty in design of the F90 exhibited at the Tokyo Motor Show, and this was the beginning of his desire to create a plastic model.
“The presence of the tiller next to the figurine naturally brings to mind fields and soil. This world view inspired me to make the product,” Takaku said.
The resulting plastic model of the F90 and Minori, “Minimum Factory Minori with Honda Tiller F90,” was well received and sold well.
Many people posted photos of their completed plastic models in dioramas on the Internet, spreading the world view.
Further developing on this world view, this time with a winter theme, “Minori with Honda Snow Plow HSS1170n” was released in May 2023, featuring the HSS1170n.
With a tiller symbolizing spring and a snow plow suggesting winter, the world view of the seasonal-themed series was established.
He then thought, “what about summer?”
Making the Outboard Motor, aSummer Power Product, into a Plastic Model
“As I was discussing with Honda our next plastic model project, it was surprisingly easy for us to agree that Honda’s power product for summer was the outboard motor. I think we came to that conclusion at the 2023 Shizuoka Hobby Show in May,” recalled Takaku.
What surprised Honda’s staff, though, was Takaku’s idea of making the model without a boat.
“I thought that if we were to combine Minori with an outboard motor, her maintaining the outboard motor would be a more powerful image of summer.
“When I told this to the Honda staff, they were surprised, but immediately understood, and gave me the go-ahead,” said Takaku.
After the direction of making a plastic model of an outboard motor was decided, Takaku moved on to gather information and build a prototype.
Choosing the New BF350
In May 2023, Honda’s flagship outboard motor was the 250-horsepower BF250 powered by a V6 engine. Takaku naturally asked Honda for permission to make a model of the BF250, and created a simple 3D-printed model. He then visited Honda’s Marine Division to ask for their cooperation.
He was then surprised at their suggestion: “Can you make a plastic model of the new BF350 instead of the BF250?”
“I was overwhelmed with joy, but at the same time felt a lot of pressure,” said Takaku. He had known of the BF350 announced in Genoa, Italy in September, three months before his visit to Honda.
“I wrote up the permission request with the BF250, but really wanted to make the BF350, so when they made the suggestion, I was overjoyed,” recalled Takaku.
In December, 2023, the official go-ahead was given to make the BF350 into a plastic model.
Developing the BF350 Plastic Model, and Dedication to Detail
The decision had been made to create a BF350 plastic model, and now, the real development work began.
“I first learned about the manufacturing process, which was a big surprise. The engineers told me about why the V8 was mounted vertically and the cylinder V-bank angle was 60 degrees, the exhaust pipe layout, and why a radiator was not needed like a car. Everything was new to me.”
Takaku said that Honda’s engineers played a larger role in supporting his creation of the BF350 plastic model than the tiller or snow plow.
“The F90 was a tiller sold 60 years ago, and there were no plans or service manuals left. I had to draw the diagrams looking at a real unit at the Honda Collection Hall. For the BF350, Honda engineers were a big support, enabling me to make a more faithful model. This was a major aspect of the model’s quality,” recalled Takaku.
Takaku was not only dedicated to accurately recreating the BF350’s mechanism.
“Of course I wanted to faithfully reproduce the beauty of the BF350’s design and its appeal, but a major point was that by making the plastic model, you could look at the engine’s structure and mechanism, which you normally cannot see.
“It is very rare to see the internals of an outboard motor. But by building this plastic model, you can understand how the V8 engine is housed, and the ingenuity of Honda’s engineers. You can feel as if you are a Honda engineer. That’s the whole point of making a plastic model,” said Takaku.
“I wish everything in the world could be made into a plastic model. That’s me. But I find it more rewarding to work on something that is interesting and surprising as a model, something that allows me to recreate the mechanism. That’s why the BF350 was perfect for me,” said Takaku.
Attention to Detail and Technique in Reproduction
The BF350 plastic model is basically designed to be faithful in styling and detailing down to the smallest of details.
The metal Honda emblem was faithfully reproduced using metal inlets, rather than using water-transfer decals or cutting sheets. This was an area that Takaku was very particular about, saying, “I wanted to express the aura of the Honda engine and the beauty of the outboard motor.”
He added, “Many of the Honda engineers are also plastic model fans, and they cooperated with me in my development from both a modelers’ and engineers’ viewpoints. I was truly happy when they were surprised that the model was so accurate and detailed.”
The Appeal of Power Products through Plastic Models
TA tiller, a snow plow, and now an outboard motor. The Minori plastic model series has selected unorthodox items. But, it has created a unique world through combining power products with figurines.
T “I want to convey the appeal of the BF350 not only in terms of how intricate the model is, or how beautiful the mechanisms are, but simply how cool it looks. This is the first cool, beautiful outboard motor I’ve seen.”
